Ten students from University of Massachusetts School of Law Dartmouth were in Portugal in May as part of a new study abroad program created in partnership with the Católica Global School of Law of Lisbon.
Accompanied by UMass Law Dean Sam Panarella and Tort Law Professor Richard Peltz-Steele, the students studied Comparative Law in a two-credit course, co-taught by professors from both schools. The group also visited cultural and legal sites in and around Lisbon.
Paul Riley, first-year law student at UMass Law, was asked what persuaded him to apply; he said it’s important to have a holistic view of international law.
Riley, a Public Interest Law Fellow who aspires to pursue a career in international law, maybe with the United States Foreign Service, said the new program will be an asset to all law students.
“We can be a little too self-interested and focused on how we do things here in this country, which is obviously unique; we have our own rich tradition of the law,” Riley said. “As a law student, it’s important to have a comparative understanding of how things are done internationally.”
Katie Yates, also a first-year law student at UMass Law, said she decided to participate after taking Dr. Peltz-Steele’s Torts Law class.
“It’s really important to gain experience with your education outside of the classroom as well as inside of it,” she said.
Portugal, like most countries in Europe, has a civil law legal system, while the United States uses the common law system.
Pointing out that UMass Law’s mission is “Pursue Justice,” Yates said this cannot be adequately and effectively fulfilled unless one is open to new perspectives.
“I feel like we can’t do that without taking this holistic approach, without learning as much as we can about as many types of law as possible and getting all of those different perspectives,” she said.
Riley said the large Portuguese presence in Massachusetts made the program even more appealing.
“That was a big draw for me,” he said. “I have been to Europe a couple of times, but Portugal was of great interest to me because in this area we have a very large Portuguese-American community.”
The program costs roughly $7,500, which included the cost of flights, tuition, accommodations and food. Thanks to funding provided through UMass Dartmouth’s Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture, students only had to pay about $1,900.
